Saturday, September 29, 2012

Louis and Sarah were out for a bicycle ride one day when--yikes!--Louis got snatched up by a Gulper monster. Lucky for Louis, Sarah knew just what to do in such a situation, and she set off after it, determined to get her brother back. Of course, it complicates matters somewhat when another monster eats the Gulper--and another monster eats that one . . . but don’t underestimate a determined big sister.

Can you tell I enjoyed this book? I really, really did. The matter of fact recitation of disaster, and then Sarah’s practical approach to the problem just tickled the heck out of me. Kids will get a kick out of the nutty details in the pictures (Sarah builds herself various traveling devices out of what she has on hand, and Louis is reading a comic book by flashlight in the monster’s stomach when she finally catches up with him), and the names of the monsters evoke Seuss and Dahl in their melodic nonsense. (Undersnatch! Saber-Toothed Yumper!) I may well do a monster storytime, just for the chance to read this one.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Standouts
Writing: Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Moose isn't patient enough to wait for his turn in the alphabet show, and horns into earlier letters. Kids will love impetuous Moose, and also pointing out that "I" doesn't have anything to do with the word Moose.
Illustration: Think Big! by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
So if you read my review, you'll see why I loved this book. The collage style was especially appealing.
Overall: One Pup's Up by Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Henry Cole
Cute puppies, counting up (and then down again), and tongue-twisting wordplay made this one of my favorites all month.

Because I Want To Awards
I May Be Overthinking This: Bad Apple: a tale of friendship by Edward Hemingway
It's about an apple that wakes up one day with a worm protruding from his noggin, and they become friends. Basically a sweet story about an unlikely friendship, except . . really? Becoming friends with a creature that is, not to put too fine a point on it, consuming you? Yep. I'm probably overthinking.
For Your Little Emeril: Even Aliens Need Snacks by Matthew McElligott
Aw! I just enjoyed the heck out of this. Realized after the review went up that it would pair well, thematically and tonally, with Earth to Clunk, a fave from several months ago.